Cleveland Indians: 3 takeaways from series closing loss vs. the Angels

The Cleveland Indians closed out the six game road trip going 2-4. Let’s take a look at some key points from the 3-2 loss against the Angels.

Wednesday afternoon started off strong seeing Corey Kluber pitch well in his second start of the year. The offense was quiet again but Francisco Lindor started to feel it more today notching two hits in the game.

The Indians cap the road trip at 2-4 as they head home for the first time this year. A disappointing road trip to start the season is not great, but there are 156 more games to go.

The club has an off day on Thursday to prepare for the home opener this weekend. They can look to build off the road trip and get it going at home as they open division play against Kansas City.

Kluber starts strong again

Corey Kluber took a no-hitter into the fifth inning. He finished with seven innings pitched, three hits, two earned runs, two walks and six strikeouts.

Kluber gave way to Andrew Miller in the 8th after a stellar performance. Andrelton Simmons broke up his no-hitter with a bunt and two hitters later, Shohei Ohtani hit a two run shot to dead center to tie the game.

Kluber gets a no decision but he pitched well enough to keep the team in the game. The offensive support for him has not been ideal in his two starts but he has been nothing short of quality.

If Kluber can build on this showing, he could be on his way to another Cy Young run. The offense will need to pick him up moving forward to get him some wins.

Lindor gets it going

Francisco Lindor came into the game just 3-for-20 in the first five games. He saw the ball well, finishing with two singles. The game did go to extras in which Lindor failed to record another hit, ending 2-for-6.

Lindor also stole a base and Kipnis promptly brought him in with a single to center. Lindor’s stolen base turned into the Indians second run of the game. His offensive production has started off slow this year but this is not concerning. He has shown he is an offensive producer and he will get it going. This game may do just that heading back home.

Lindor started hot last season and went cold in the month of May. It would do wonders for the Cleveland Indians if his 2018 started cold and he turns it on as the weather warms up.

Indians head back home

After a long extra innings game resulting in a 3-2 loss, the Indians head back to Cleveland. Their 2-4 record should not be a cause for concern among the fan base. The road trip wasn’t everything it could have been but the team showed some signs of life through their first six games. They won 2 games but left many opportunities to win 3 or even 4.

They will begin divisional play Friday night against Kansas City. It will be the perfect opportunity to jump out to a positive divisional record.

The Royals are not who they once were but they should not be overlooked. They are still a division team that can and will compete with the Indians in any given series.

Next: Tribe near top of ESPN Power Rankings

The extra innings affair is mainly a non-factor due to the Thursday off day. The Cleveland Indians will rest and look to climb over .500 over the next three games at Progressive field starting Friday evening in Cleveland.